Aquatic device



May 23, 1950 J. G. JOHNSON 2,509,001

AQUATIC DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l vvuz-w we JOHN G. JOH/YJO/Y rITTOENEYJ May 23, 1950 Filed Nov. 15, 1946 J. G. JOHNSON AQUATIC DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N UE N 70B JOHN G? JOHNJ on! Patented May 23, 1950 2. 59%. AQUATIC P-EVIGE:

Application November 15, Serial-No. 71 0,1 79 Qt can 1 Claim. 1

in ention relate to water amusement (lsriqes. nd. has reference more particu ar y to a nov l f m oi? wat r carrier or ve ic e. n th natur of a float. and in, which one r mor persons ma s t p r a y submerged in the wat r and. manually propel; t e veh cle f ramus mer t and transportation- It s t e. principal object or this. invention. to p i e a devic is tov s me ext nt, an rovem nt. upon. the Wa erv hicle, d sc ed in m U- S- ate t No.- 2, .-3; ,0. 2i issued cemb r 9 8, parti ularly in the design or floats or s po ts for. the. d vi e, that makes. the d vice mo uoyant and; stabl and the ype or sup..- p r or c rier for the person usin the device.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a support or chai for the occupant that may be adjusted to diiterent positions of inclinao nd also, newer-dis? r dqwewardlx r at ve to the float in order that the occupant may. be placed to moreor less extent in the. water.

Still other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of parts of the device in their relationship and mode of use as will hereinaiter'befullydeseribed.

In accomplishing the. above mentioned and other objects trite invention, I "have provided the, improved details of 'c nstruction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a water vehicle embodying the novel features of my invention there- 1n.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the vehicle, indicating its normal position in the water.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a tandem vehicle of modified form.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In its present preferred form of construction, the device comprises two spaced, parallel pontoons l and 2 of substantial length and size and having the necessary buoyancy for the intended use of the device. Preferably, the pontoons are made of balsa wood, to give lightness to the structure without detriment to buoyancy, and as used by the ordinary person, these pontoons would be about eight feet long, three inches wide and eight inches deep.

The two pontoons, or runners, are tapered at their forward ends as shown in Fig. 1 and they are joined across their rearward end portions and held rigidly in spaced relationship as shown in Fig. 1, by a wooden deck plate 3 preferably comprising a sheet of ply-wood that has its opposite 08 per ends by a cross bar. 12'.

2. side. portions overlying and bolted to the. top surface, of the pontoons. This. plate covers. approximately the rearthird of the space between the pontoons.

The. longitudinal edges, and the rear. edge. of the deck piece 3, are covered and reinforcedby wooden angle strips applied thereover as shown in Fig. l and secured by boltsv or screws applied therethnongh and into the pontoons.

Extended: between the pontoons at the forward edge. of the. deck piece 3, is a rigidly.- mounted frame. structure. comprising a bottom cross bar t0r that is fixed at its. opposite ends to the pontoon and also is fixed to. the forward edge of the deck piece. Fixed to and extended upwardly ii-rom the. opposite end portions. of. the cross bar l0 and; slip; tly, rearward-1y inclined are fiat, board standards l|- l, j-oi' ed across their up- I v Brace bars-13 13 arefi xed to the upperend portions of these standards and to the deck plate 3- as shown in Figsl l and '2 to brace and; holdthe frame structure rigid relative'to the pontoons. Suspended between the pontoons and from the frame structure just described is a chair or seat on which the person usingthe devicemaysit partially submerged in the water. The chair includes a back portion and a seat portion. The back portion comprises a plurality of wooden cross slats; 2!} that arefixed at their opposite "ends to upright rails -2 that engage in sliding c6nt'al ct" with'the front surfaces of the corresponding standards ll-l I. The seat portion comprises the opposite side rails 2222 on which cross slats the seat. The side rails extend substantially forward from the seat and have the opposite ends of a cross strap 24 fixed thereto on which the user may rest his legs if he so desires.

The rails 22-22 have their rear end portions pivotally attached by bolts 25 to the lower ends of the back rails 2l-2l and their forward portions are adjustably supported by rods 26 which are attached thereto and to the side rails of the back. These rods include turn buckles 21 therein which provide for lengthening or shortening the rods thus to change the angular relationship of the bottom or seat portion and the back portion.

The chair as so constructed is adjustably sus-.

pended from the top cross bar I2 of the back frame by a rod 30 which, at its uppe end is rotatably passed through a hole in the cross bar l2 and held by a wing nut 3| fixed on its upper end. Along its lower end portion, the rod 30 is threaded as at 32 and passes through a nut 35 23 are fixed to form.

3 that is fixed to one of the lower cross slats of the back portion of the chair. By turning the wing nut 3| in one direction or the other, the chair may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly relative to the pontoons and in this way the user may be raised or lowered in the water.

For propelling the device in water, I have provided a pair of paddle wheels 40 located at opposite sides and forwardly of the chair. Each paddle wheel has its mounting shaft 4| revolvably carried in bearings 42 of a rectangular frame 43 that is fixed upon the corresponding pontoon.

in various sizes and proportions, and details of The lower portions of the paddle wheels extend into the water. Fixed at the inner ends of the paddle wheel mounting shafts, are hand cranks 45-45 and these are easily accessible to the person using the device when sitting in the chair. By means of the two cranks, the paddle wheels may be rotated to propel the device forwardly, rearwardly or to make turns in the water. The frames 43 are adjustably secured upon the beams l and 2 and may be moved forwardly or rearwardly to best suit the user. It is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that bolts 41 are fixed in the beams and extend through longitudinal slots 48 in longitudinal frame members to provide for the adjustment.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, it will be understood that in using it, the user merely sits in the chair portion, reaches forward.

grasps the cranks of the paddle wheels and turns them in unison to propel the device forwardly or rearwardly or turn them unequally or in opposite directions for making turns.

The adjustability of the seat permits the user to be raised or lowered in the water to suit his desires and the chair seat may be adjusted to give a desired inclination.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a similar device of tandem arrangement. This employs pontoons like those of the device already described and is equipped with a forward and rearward seat structure, each like that already described. This device however, is with a different type of propelling mechanism.

In this structure, bearings 50 are fixed to the forward cross slat of each of the seats and extending rotatably through the bearings are tubular shafts 52 adapted for rotation within certain limits. At their upper ends, the shafts 52 mount paired hand cranks 5353 thereon and construction might be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An aquatic device of the character described, comprising a float having opposite side members, a deck plate rigidly joining said members across their rearward end portions, a transverse,

"upright frame structure fixed to said deck plate adjacent its forward edge, a seat frame comprising a back portion disposed against the forward side of the upright structure and extending downwardly therefrom, a seat portion pivotally attached to said back portion for the support of an occupant partially submerged in the water, tie rods supporting the seat portion from the back portion and of adjustable length to determine the inclination of the seat portion, and a hanger rod attached to said back frame portion and adjustably fixed in the said upright frame structure for determining the position of the said seat frame, and propulsion means positioned for manual operation by an occupant of the seat. JOHN G. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,555,589 Farina Sept. 29, 1925 2,139,022 Johnson Dec. 6, 1938 v FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,869 Great Britain of 1910 265,918 Germany Oct. 16, 1913 

